Sarcopenia as a robust predictor of readmission within six months among individuals experiencing acute stroke |
Takafumi Abe1, Yoshihiro Yoshimura2, Yoichi Sato3, Fumihiko Nagano4, Ayaka Matsumoto5 |
1Department of Rehabilitation,Uonuma Kikan Hospital, 4132 Urasa, Minami Uonuma-city, Niigata, 949-7302, Japan 2Center for Sarcopenia and Malnutrition Research, Kumamoto Rehabilitation Hospital, 760 magarite, kikuchi-gun kikuyou-cho, Kumamoto, 869-1106, Japan 3Department of Rehabilitation,Uonuma Kikan Hospital, 4132 Urasa, Minami Uonuma-city, Niigata, 949-7302, Japan 4Center for Sarcopenia and Malnutrition Research, Kumamoto Rehabilitation Hospital, 760 magarite, kikuchi-gun kikuyou-cho, Kumamoto, 869-1106, Japan 5Center for Sarcopenia and Malnutrition Research, Kumamoto Rehabilitation Hospital, 760 magarite, kikuchi-gun kikuyou-cho, Kumamoto, 869-1106, Japan |
Correspondence:
Yoshihiro Yoshimura, Email: hanley.belfus@gmail.com |
Received: 22 January 2024 • Revised: 29 February 2024 • Accepted: 4 April 2024 |
Abstract |
Objective: Sarcopenia negatively affects the short-term prognosis of hospitalized older adults. However, no evidence currently supports a direct relationship between sarcopenia and readmission among individuals who have experienced an acute stroke. Therefore, we investigated whether sarcopenia is associated with readmission after discharge.
Methods This retrospective cohort study included patients who had experienced acute stroke. Sarcopenia was defined as the coexistence of low skeletal muscle mass index (SMI) and grip strength. We applied the log-rank test and Cox proportional hazards regression analysis to analyze whether sarcopenia, low SMI, and low grip strength were associated with readmission within 6 months.
Results Among 228 included patients (mean age, 72.8 years; 146 males), the prevalence of sarcopenia was 24.6% (n=56; male, 17.8%; female, 36.6%). Cox proportional hazards regression analysis using the propensity score as a covariate revealed that sarcopenia (hazard ratio [HR] 7.21 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.45–35.8]; p=0.016) and low skeletal muscle mass (HR 7.40 [95% CI 1.14–48.1; p=0.036), but not low grip strength (HR 1.42 [95% CI 0.281–7.21]; p=0.670), were significantly associated with readmission for stroke within 6 months.
Conclusions Sarcopenia was negatively associated with readmission within 6 months of stroke onset in patients in Japan who had experienced an acute stroke. These findings suggest that the identification of sarcopenia may facilitate prognostic prediction from the acute stage and intervention(s) to prevent rehospitalization. |
Key Words:
stroke, sarcopenia, muscle mass, acute stroke, readmission, prognosis |
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